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Good Shepherd Lutheran Church Today's Frontline Devotion Saturday, July 5, 2003 "Loving Our Enemies" |
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Frontline Devotion for Saturday, July 5, 2003 by Brenda Kessler
Texts for the day: Luke 6:27-37 Exodus 23:1-6
Perhaps the terrorist acts of September 11, 2001, more than any other recent events, awakened us to the fact that the United States of America does, in fact, have people who hate us, people we might call enemies. Some of you receiving this frontline devotion may have lost family, friends, or acquaintances on that fateful day.
Do any of you know people who will not now go into Washington or New York City? Do any of you know people who will not ride the metro or the New York subway system because they fear the enemy and what the enemy might do? I do.
Today’s lessons encourage us to behave otherwise. In verse 27 of the 6th chapter of Luke Jesus tells us to love our enemies and to do good to those who hate us. In verses 4 and 5 of the 23rd chapter of Exodus we are encouraged to take an enemy’s ox or donkey back to him if we see it wandering off and we are encouraged to help our enemy if we see his donkey fallen from too heavy a load. In other words, we are to help not hate.
Indeed, those are challenging words for us to hear, especially if we have lost a loved one because of a terrorist/enemy act.
However, they are also freeing words. We need not live in fear, hidden behind curtains in safe homes. We can venture out and LIVE. If we wrap Jesus’ words of love around us, we can venture out to face the enemy. We can venture out to even love the enemy.
“Love your enemies; Do good to those who hate you; Bless those who curse you; Pray for those who treat you spitefully.” – Luke 6:28
Prayer: Thank you God for loving us. Forgive us when we have been enemies to others. Help us to forgive our enemies even as we ask to be forgiven. Help us to love all of your people with the agape love that only you can give. In the name of Jesus we pray. Amen.
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